Ms Crawford took home $2000 for her artwork Forrest Connection, her first foray into textiles in her 27 years of mainly painting in watercolours.
"It's an area I've just moved into and it's really exciting to be acknowledged for the textile piece," the art tutor, who planned to invest the prize in framing her work, said.
"This is a coming together of all the different art areas in one piece. I live for colour and texture and that's what I try to portray."
Debut judge and Queenstown artist Alice Blackley, founder of tourism operation Art Adventures, praised Ms Crawford's framed textile piece for its "originality and depth" when announcing the winners.
The Queenstown Art Society's biggest annual event attracted 86 works in all media by 46 artists, mainly from around the Southern Lakes and Central Otago, but also from Invercargill.
Society president Barbara Glass said the "quality and standard is higher than last year", and the subject matter, mediums and the size more varied.
"It's going well. Our sponsors seem to be keen to sponsor us again and it would be nice to get the sales."
The exhibition runs in the Cloakroom Gallery in the rebranded Queenstown Arts Centre on the corner of Stanley and Ballarat Sts, until the extended date of November 27, daily from 11am to 7pm.
Award winners
Best of exhibition - $2000 Jan Crawford, of Queenstown, for textile Forrest Connection.
Best contemporary - $500. Eleanor Walker, of Queenstown, for driftwood-acrylic Storm Flyer.
Best traditional - $500. Brian Millard, of Arrowtown, for watercolour Under the Remarkables.
Best use of medium - $500 Artzone: Andi Regan, of Wanaka, for cable ties Creating a Buzz.
Highly commended - $300 Ivan Clarke Gallery. Emma Butler, of Queenstown, for oil The Birds and the Bees.
Commended - $200 Guided Walks New Zealand. Errol Bulling, of Queenstown, for oil Looking West.
Youth award (artists aged 25 and under) - $300 SBS Bank. Scott McTavish, of Queenstown, for spray paint-acrylic Forgotten Youth.
Youth runner-up - $150 canvases and paints Quality Canvases. Dominic Wilson, of Queenstown, for oil Invasion part VI.
Merit - $300 voucher Paper Plus. Barbara Cushen, of Arrowtown, for acrylic Coronet Peak from McDonnell Rd Arrowtown.
Merit - $300 voucher The Framing Studio. Jennifer Majeske, of Queenstown, for oil Oh, How the Children Rage When Disney is Not Enough.
QAS Acquisition - The Queenstown Art Society purchases a piece for its collection. Spike Wademan, of Queenstown, for oil Late Afternoon Cruise.
